Three Australian families remember loved ones lost on flight MH17 on the third anniversary of its downing

THREE Australian families of MH17 victims have described their ongoing grief three years after the doomed plane was shot down.

Ellen Whinnett, the Netherlands

News Corp Australia NetworkJuly 18, 20175:44am

Serge and Vera Oreshkin, whose son Victor Oreshkin, 29, was killed, at his tree at the new MH17 memorial Vijfhuizen, Holland. Picture: Franck BessiereSource:Supplied

JACK O’Brien was just 25 years old, returning to his family in Sydney after a seven-week holiday, when he boarded MH17 for what would be his final journey.

His family — mother Meryn, father Jon and younger sister Bronwyn — arrived in Amsterdam yesterday to honour him, walking through the same airport he had walked through three years before.

Jon and Meryn O'Brien with daughter, Bronwyn, at the new MH17 memorial in the Netherlands. Jon and Merryn’s 25-year-old son Jack was killed on MH17. Picture: Franck Bessiere.Source:Supplied

The family adorned Jack’s memorial tree with mementos from family and friends — ribbons and knitted scarfs in the colours of his Winston Hills football team, and his beloved Western Sydney Wanderers and Arsenal FC.

There were notes, and trinkets from those who loved him, including his two grandmothers.

“We just like we are here on behalf of all Jack’s family and friends,’’ Mrs O’Brien said.

Relatives attend the unveiling of the National Monument for the MH17 victims in Vijfhuizen, the Netherlands. Picture: AFP/ANP/Remko de WaalSource:AFP

“So we said if they wanted to send something with us … there were no rules other than it needed to be little so we could bring it.’’

Mrs O’Brien shed quiet tears as she looked at a photograph of her son pinned to his tree, his smiling face looking out over the memorial park.

“It’s very raw,’’ she said.

“Some other Australian families came over at various times early on, especially when the bodies were identified. We didn’t do that, so this is a big trip for us, to come back to the airport that Jack left from.’’

“Three years on but the level of disbelief is just the same. We get on, we work, we do our stuff, we get out a bit more but you still wake up in the morning and think, ‘What happened, and how come Jack didn’t come home’,’’ she said.

The pair wrote a powerful letter to Russian president Vladimir Putin, calling for him to co-operate with the international investigation and bring the perpetrators, who are believed to have crossed the border back into Russia, to justice.

Relatives of MH17 victims flowers as they arrive at a service to mark the three-year anniversary of the downing of the plane. Picture: Franck BessiereSource:Supplied

“You can’t just do this and nothing happen,’’ Mrs O’Brien said.

“We are really conscious that 10,000 Ukrainian civilians have died but the truth matters, the truth matters, that’s what we want.

“We didn’t speak for a long time, we were shell-shocked, but the level of outrage is such we’ve got to say something.’’

An Australian flag flies at half-mast at the memorial. Picture: Franck BessiereSource:Supplied

The O’Briens arrived in Amsterdam just hours before the ceremony. They stayed in Sydney to attend the Arsenal v Western Sydney Wanderers game on Saturday — they had nine months earlier vowed to attend, and bought 16 tickets to share the night with Jack’s friends.

Later this week they will return to the park to quietly, privately, place more personal items around his tree.

Mr O’Brien said this would include a packet of soil, dug from the penalty box and from near a memorial bench at Jack’s home ground of Winston Hills. His family will dig it into the earth and nurture his tree with the soil from home.

Relatives attend the unveiling of a new memorial for MH17 victims. Picture: AFP/ANP/Remko de WaalSource:AFP

Mrs O’Brien said they would also go to visit the trees of other Australians who they had come to know.

“We could despair and be blinded by it but what’s the point of more hatred? That’s why Jack’s not here now, entrenched hatred.’’

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VERA and Serge Oreshkin were pleased their son Victor, a horticulturalist, would be remembered in a beautiful garden.

The couple, from New South Wales, came a few days early to Amsterdam so they could build a tiny cactus garden and place it at Victor’s tree.

The garden is surrounded by little palings which bear the names of Victor’s 13 nieces and nephews.

Mrs Oreshkin said it had been a difficult day, but she believed it would be healing, and make good memories for them.

Yvonne and Arjen, from Albany in WA, were returning from a dream European holiday when they were killed.

Mrs van Duyn said she felt “blessed’’ to be able to be part of the ceremony.

“It was a very special occasion,’’ she said.

Jack and Wilma van Duyn were on hand to commemorate Wilma’s sister Yvonne Ryder and her husband Arjen Ryder who both died on MH17. Picture: Franck BessiereSource:Supplied

“What I found very good is that we were able to remember everyone. In Australia with both our memorial service in Melbourne and in Canberra the Australians only were remembered. Here, everyone is remembered, and I thought that was very special.’’

Mr van Duyn said he had been pleased to catch up with the Maslin family, who had lost their three children and the children’s grandfather.

A relative puts flowers on a new memorial to commemorate MH17 victims. Picture: AFP/Remko de WaalSource:AFP

He said he believed it was important to speak out about the tragedy, to keep loved ones’ memories in focus, and let family and friends back in Australia see the memorial.

The couple, through their niece, were able to bring native Australian flowers to place at Yvonne and Arjen’s trees, which are side-by-side.

“You couldn’t just have a rose, it had to be an Australian flower,’’ Mr van Duyn said.